Frustrated skipper Paul Deacon admits he is enduring his hardest time ever as a Bulls player.

Having lifted every trophy in the game with Bradford over the last decade, the club stalwart never envisaged seeing his side scraping just one spot off bottom in Super League.

But that is the desperate position they are in after their worst ever start in the summer era.

And Deacon concedes if they don’t improve immediately, failing to make the play-offs – unthinkable before – is a real possibility.

“There’d be a lot of unhappy people if that ever happened,” said the scrum half.

“It would be massively disappointing but the nail has been hit on the head – if we don’t sort this that could happen.

“Personally, this is, without doubt, the toughest period of my career.

“Being captain as well, it is a real difficult position to be in when the team isn’t getting results.

“We’ll have to show what we’re made of over the next few weeks and that is the only way to respond.”

Deacon – who has missed the last three games due to knee surgery – admits watching the 58-22 home embarrassment by Warrington was stomach-churning.

“I remember saying after the Wigan game earlier in the season that we’ll never play as bad as that again but we did against Warrington,” he said.

“What we dished up there was worse and it’s just not good enough. It really is that simple and all the players know it.” The former Great Britain star, 29, hoped to be ready to return and lend his experience to the cause at St Helens on Friday.

But having seen his specialist yesterday, Deacon admits it could now be next week before he is back in action.

“I’ve not run on it yet (his injured knee) and it is touch and go for Saints,” he said, ahead of another daunting fixture at the table-toppers.

“On the back of a performance like Warrington, it is a very tough picture going over there.

“Having said that, it’s a good opportunity to see if we can turn it around against probably the best team in the country.

“We showed we could do it against quality opposition as we did it versus Leeds on Good Friday.

“Maybe it will be a good thing going to Saints; this will concentrate our minds more than maybe it would facing a lesser side.”